Blogs

It's not surprising that our staff loves our local nabes. But which ones are our personal favorites, you ask? Don't even get us started. From waterfront views to downtown shopping, here are a few reasons we love our hoods:
Kirkland: “Living in Kirkland feels like you’re on vacation. I love the downtown for shopping, eating and walking. And I love anywhere I can see water and be near water.” —Sheila Mickool, Seattle magazine research editor

Well, I just wrote a really long, really thoughtful, really excited post about Yellow Terror, the new Roger Shimomura exhibit at Wing Luke, and then suddenly the blog demons devoured it. Perhaps those of you who have experienced this sort of technical difficulty can relate to the particular rage it tends to incite. But instead of rending my garments, I'm just going to say go see the exhibit. It's amazing. Then go upstairs and see Parallel Lines, a show of 8 contemporary Asian American artists. It's amazing too.

Whether you're in the mood to spend big or to window shop, the Bravern is the place to be this weekend. The luxury shopping center opens this weekend, upping the local fashion anty with new stores from Neiman Marcus, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch and more. Here are five reasons from our edit team on why you should visit the Bravern:

For a town the nation associates with fleece and hiking boots, Seattle can pull out some serious style for the right occasion. Last night, Neiman Marcus in Bellevue hosted a black tie gala to celebrate its opening (today!) and Seattle mag staffers (including editorial director Rachel Hart, fabulously dressed managing editor Virginia Smyth and advertising director John Spear) spotted an array of fashion-forward styles, from the incredibly chic to slightly audacious. If you missed out on the Twitter feed last night, here are a few of the stand-out pics.

Seattle mag's staff took a Bellevue road trip yesterday to check out the Bravern. From Neiman Marcus to Hermes, and Tory Burch, this shopping center is upping the local luxury anty one brand at a time. We'll have a complete rundown on the shopping center tomorrow, but for now, here's some behind the scenes footage to hold you over.

New York Fashion Week is in full swing and in fitting fashion, Seattle's designers debut their fall looks Thursday, September 17th during the 6th annual Fashion First show. Featuring the winning designers from our Seamless in Seattle contest (as well as looks from Le Ree, Oslo’s and The Finerie), executive director (and designer shoe aficionado) Joan Kelly ducks away from planning for a minute to reveal her favorite new looks and Fashion First designers that have the tough critic swooning:

I am not in the camp of buying pretty soap only to have it set out and have it collect dust for years. Life is too short and as a result, luxe soaps have long been my little indulgences. So I just have to share this amazing soap that my son's teacher from last year gave me.

Can’t wait until November 20 to see the latest installment big-screen installment of Stephanie Meyer’s vampirical teen saga? Feed those Twilight cravings with a trip to Forks, the quiet Olympic Peninsula town where the book is based. Forks tourism is booming with fans eager to see and experience the town first-hand. Check out our Twilight Guide for scoop on how to get to Forks and where to stay.-Posted by Madeline Boardman

If you’ve ever wanted a certain street sign, but your law abiding ways have stopped you from stealing it, now’s your chance to get one. In 2007 the city launched a five year program to replace those trademark green Seattle signs with bigger, brighter ones. The deadline has now been extended to 2016, so you have a few more years to find the one for you.
From Seattle.gov:

Faithful readers, it's your turn to tell us what you love about Seattle. Fill out our Best of 2009 Readers' Choice poll and sound-off on the best of the city.
Vote now and you'll be entered to win a 2-night stay at Sun Valley Resort (trust us. the poll is long and you need to fill out at least half of it for your picks to counted). Oh yeah, and ballots must be completed by midnight, September 15, 2009 at midnight.
>>VOTE HERE

Where do American Idol contestants go after they’ve braved Simon’s snarkiness, Paula’s secret language (you crazy girl, we’ll miss you!) or Randy’s persistent “dawg” problem? Many end up in the American Idol graveyard…where Justin Guarini and his hair can be found next to William Hung’s dignity. Some, however, actually make it to the other side and launch legitimate careers.

While it's far from the usual Screaming Deals of clothing sales, cheap flights, and restaurant bargains, this offer was just too good to pass up. On Saturday, September 19th, the Seattle Public Library is holding a free SAT preparation class at the Central Branch from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a follow-up session scheduled for September 26. Registration is required so participants need to email teencenter@spl.org with his/her name, school, and grade level.

Greenwood’s funky boutique, and one of our Best Shops of 2008, Tweed (8315 Greenwood Ave. N), is going out of business. Owner Danielle Luartes will close the Greenwood store September 27th but hopes to reopen again in November (depending on how the sale goes) with lines geared more toward recession budgets.

The countdown to the grand opening of The Shops at the Bravern is now measured in weeks, instead of months and previews of luxury fashion have begun. Looks from Tory Burch were spotted on roving models all over the city (I spotted a fabulously-clad group at the Fremont Troll on Sunday), with more “mobile” fashion shows to come in the next couple of weeks.